India, Feb. 23 -- Top Maoist commander and the organisation's key "strategist", Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, has surrendered, a top police official said on Sunday. He carried a reward of Rs 1 crore. Devji hails from Telangana's Jagtial district, and his surrender can be seen as a deadly blow to the outlawed organisation, which now lacks leadership.

Devji (62) is believed to have succeeded the late CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, who died in May 2025. Another senior Maoist leader, Malla Raji Reddy, along with several cadres of the CPI (Maoist), has also surrendered.

Their surrender comes days before the Union Government's March 2026 deadline to eliminate Naxalism in the country.

According to reports...